Jewellery speaking

Published on 02 August 2001

Peter Deckers is enjoying coming up for air after preparing for an exhibition while he continued to tutor in the Visual Arts department. In his spare time over the past seven months, Peter has been creating an installation for the 4th Jewellery Biennale. The exhibition is on at the Dowse Art Museum until August 12 when it will tour nationally and internationally.

Entitled Grammar: subjects and objects, "the exhibition presents jewellery as a fleshy and vital player in our visual language, culture and society," says guest curator and artist Deborah Crowe. This is the first year that contemporary artists were included alongside professional jewellers, as they focused on what jewellery means to society.

Peter has exhibited in two previous Biennales. At first glance, his works might seem to be things you could pick up at the junk shop, or city car park. On slightly closer inspection though, the works reveal an inimitable beauty. The glint of light off metal, a slash of colour and the incantations of 35 different voices combine in an impressive display. Peter made sound a part of his installation, by recording people talking about their own jewellery, giving voice to the idea that everyone has their own story to tell. "My work is my own story in response to different processes and layers of ownership."

Peter was funded by Whitireia to prepare his installation. He continues to work as a part-time tutor in design and jewellery in the Visual Arts Department.